The National tribune., 1887-06-16
THEY DON'T SEE ALIKE.
How Some Things Appeared TO a Wisconsin Vet


How Some Things Appeared 10 q Wisconsin Vet
eran.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Some OF the
writers in your columns, in attempting 10 correct
the mistakes Of Others, make bad work OF IL.
For instance referring TO Col. Fred Grants
statement that his father occupied the same
rooms In the Bowen House at Jackson alter the
first capture of that place which Gen. Joe
Johnston had occupied the night before, one
comrade gravey informs US that Col. Fred
was mistaken, as Johnston was not IN Nlcks-
burg al all during the siege of that place.
This will hardly be considered news Ivy anyone
who was i'm the army investing Nicksburg, as
il was well understood that Johnston was IN
our rear and only waiting for an opportunity
10 let US know his whereabouts.
And a 10th Ind. man, who differs from Capt.
Swgsrt, gets things badly mixed while trying
to locate, or rather disloeate, the Goth Wis. in
the battle of Port Gibson; as also the group
of rebel horsemen which was seen under the
magnolia tree at one time during the engage
ment. Iii is difficult TO see how person could
get the two incidents COMPOUNDED, in one OF
which appeared a single hOrseman, and in the
other a squad Of eight or 10 in full view from
a mile of our line. and being watched by two or
three Thousand Of our men. The group of horse
men TO which Mai. Swigart refers was Gen.
Tracy and his staff; and the Major probably re-
members seeing the white horse which the
General had ridden running away without his
rider, upon the scattering of the group by
shot from one of our guns. The other incident
in which an officer had both legs shot of, as
stated by the comrade of the 10th Ind, oc-
Cured at least two miles TO the left of, and
as many hours after, this.
lie also states that he knows positively that
the Iowa boys occupied the ground on which
the Captain locates the 29th Wis.," while am
Just as certain that the Doth Wis. did occupy
exactly the position which the Captain assigns
them. viz at the foot of the hill, in advance of
the main line. And am the more surprised
at his assertion, because / had supposed that
every one in Hoveys Division, at least, knew
where that regiment was in that engagement.
Now, may be considered little sensitive on
this point, but have decided objections TO be-
ing showed aside, even NJ this late day, TO give
place TO the Iowa boys or anybody else.
After the formation of the new line in the
afternoon las stated by Maj. Swigart), our regi-
ment was supporting a battery posted on the
brow of hill 1T the foot of which was deep
ravine, running nearly parallel with our line.
We were lying in the rear of the guns and
watching the effect of the shot upon the group
! Of rebel horsemen, when our skiTmishers in
front appeared, falling back out Of the bushes
on the hillside on the opposite side Of the ra-
vine into the open space below, with the enc
my's line Of infantry close at their heels A
moment or two after one of the skirmishers
soon found, as he was never far off at such a
! time, and in less time than IL takes TO tell it
we had fallen i'm and were going down into the
ravine on the double-quick. We moved by the
| flank, and as the enemy opened fire on us be-
fore we could get into position, the left wing of
/ the regiment stood nearly ut right angles with
the enemy's line. giving them cross-fire on us.
Go. l. lost in the rayine, killed and wounded,
| p men, about half their number, almost at the
/ first fire from the enemy.
As that was the first general engagement in
which the Cotton Guards" as the older regi-
ments called us, had taken part, il was pretty
rough breaking in; for, what with the fire
from the enemy in front and the shot and shell
| from our line in the rear screeching and scream
ing over our heads, il was altogether a tighter
place, fancy, than often fell TO the lot of new
troops TO get in. But we stayed there just the
same, until the Sth Ind, from CaTrs Division,
! finally came and helped TO drive the enemy
| from our front. And so il was that, together
with our other losses sustained that day. we
! lost our nickname, and ever after that the older
troops were ready TO swear by and stand by the
29th Wis
That man mentioned by Maj. Swigart as hav-
ing been captured upon our first landing at
| Bruinsburg and sent on board the Benton, I'M
der the mistaken idea that he was rebel spy,
was sent 10 headquarters under guard a good
many times during the campaign. While on
| the march, near Willow Springs, the colonel oil
our regiment had him arrested and sent TO the
Commanding General, the very man he was
anxious 10 see. i wish that we knew his name,
for the one act Of his getting hold Of Johnston's
dispatch 10 Pemberton before the battle of
Champion Hills, and delivering il 10 McPher-
son, entitled him 10 the lasting gratitude OF
every soldier Of that army. He had way OF
appearing TO US at times when least expected
and always with important information of the
enemy's movements, and altogether was about
the busiest man in that part of the country at
that time, for he had 10 keep an eye on each
army. literally looking at both sides of the
question and at the same time keeping sharp
lookout for himself, TO save his own neck from
the halter.
/ have read "Cui Bono's" account of the
battle of Podunksburg, and now | am wait
ing for some member of that "other corps y
10 come TO the front with the assertion
that Bono was mistaken in some important
particulars, and tries to appropriate 10 the
Smoothbore Brigade more glory than belongs
10 IT, If he has succeeded in giving an &C.
count Of battle that suits everybody. he hes
performed feat that justly entities him 10 the
cake.-J. A. STARK, Co. L, 18th Wis, Iron
wood, Wis.